The Children of the Crash of ‘09

Wall Street Journal columnist Sue Shellenbarger writes that economic downturns leave enduring marks on the career prospects and aspirations of children. Some youngsters will face lasting setbacks, while others will emerge more focused and motivated, based on studies of past recessions. The outcome, she writes, depends partly on a child’s age, on the example set by parents, and on whether young people can be empowered somehow to help their families through the crisis.

Shellenbarger, writing in a recent Journal column, cited the research of sociology professor Dr. Glen Elder, author of “Children of the Great Depression.”

She says Dr. Elder found in studies of the Great Depression that the self-image of small children of 1930s was shaped by the morale of their same-sex parent. Young boys suffered most, seeing their fathers deprived of work and a sense of identity. Preschoolers and pre-teens too young to understand the causes of the downturn, or to help out financially, suffered, too; they risked growing up with “a lack of initiative, of confidence, or self-efficacy.”

According to Dr. Elder’s findings, those who fared best were Depression-era teenagers old enough to help out by working. But they also paid a price: Depression-era hardships led youths from hard-hit families to grow up faster, and many of them committed to a vocation shortly after high school, earlier than offspring of more prosperous families.

Shellenbarger’s column concluded that “what’s past isn’t necessarily prologue.” The children of the Crash of ‘09 may ultimately experience the downturn differently than what occurred in the 1930s. But even if the new generation wanted to help their families financially, teen employment opportunities are at record lows.